Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to Western Siev Episode four hundred and forty five,
Speaker 1: War and Peace. To begin to understand the chaos of
Speaker 1: the Thirty Years War in its final years, we need
Speaker 1: to remember just how fractured Europe was by the sixteen forties.
Speaker 1: We began in sixteen eighteen as a religious conflict between
Speaker 1: Catholic and Protestant states in the Holy Roman Empire had
Speaker 1: spiraled into a massive, continent wide struggle for political dominance. France, Sweden, Spain,
Speaker 1: the Dutch Republic all had become embroiled, turning Central Europe
Speaker 1: into a patchwork of alliances and battlefields. By sixteen forty six,
Speaker 1: much of Germany lay in ruins, crops had been burned,
Speaker 1: towns looted, and populations devastated by war and disease. For
Speaker 1: the people of Central Europe, peace probably seemed like a
Speaker 1: distant dream. Yet, as we've discussed for the last two episodes,
Speaker 1: the tide had truly turned. Peace was on the horizon.
Speaker 1: The final phase of the Thirty Years War was marked
Speaker 1: by key military campaigns that demonstrated the war's relentless brutality.
Speaker 1: By this point, Sweden, under the leadership of generals like Tortensen,
Speaker 1: had become a dominant force. Tortensen launched a series of
Speaker 1: campaigns into Central Europe, targeting the remnants of the Holy
Speaker 1: Roman Empire's forces. Meanwhile, France, now led by the effect
Speaker 1: of Cardinal Mazarin, continued its military pressure on Spain. The
Speaker 1: Battle of Lens in sixteen forty eight was a decisive
Speaker 1: victory for the French against the Spanish Habsburgs, signaling that
Speaker 1: Spain's influence on the continent was truly waning. On the
Speaker 1: Swedish front, their armies clashed with imperial forces in battles
Speaker 1: that continued to weaken the Habsburgs and the Holy Roman Empire.
Speaker 1: It's important to note that while these battles raged on,
Speaker 1: the war's original religious undertones had largely faded. By the
Speaker 1: sixteen forties, this was no longer a war of Protestant
Speaker 1: versus Catholic. It had become a power struggle between nations
Speaker 1: like France and Sweden, each seeking to reshape the political
Speaker 1: landscape of Europe. As the war dragged on, the sheer
Speaker 1: cost of the conflict pushed all sides toward the negotiation table.
Speaker 1: Beginning in sixteen forty four, talks were held in the
Speaker 1: Westphalian cities of Munster and Unsbruck. These talks, which would
Speaker 1: stretch over four years, were among the first major examples
Speaker 1: of multilateral diplomacy. Now it's kind of a crazy scene here.
Speaker 1: There would be diplomats from over one hundred states of entities.
Speaker 1: We're talking things that would have looked like nation states,
Speaker 1: things like France, and then we're talking about Kingdom's principalities. Really,
Speaker 1: what are nothing more than city states all gathered in
Speaker 1: one place. It would have been chaotic. There were disagreements
Speaker 1: over protocol, language barriers, of course, and conflicting demands, but
Speaker 1: despite these challenges, progress was being made. One of the
Speaker 1: biggest obstacles was finding a way to balance the competing
Speaker 1: interests of France, Sweden, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and
Speaker 1: the smaller German states. France and Sweden both wanted to
Speaker 1: weaken the Habsburg, the smaller German states wanted autonomy. Spain
Speaker 1: just wanted to hold on to whatever influence it could,
Speaker 1: and these tensions would shape quite literally every single discussion. Finally,
Speaker 1: in October sixteen forty eight, the Treaty of Westphalia was signed,
Speaker 1: or I suppose rather treaties, as there were multiple agreements
Speaker 1: finalized at Munster and Nisbrook. But let's just break down
Speaker 1: the key points. First, the treaty established the principle of
Speaker 1: state sovereignty. The Holy Roman Empire's central authority and autonomy
Speaker 1: was further weakened, with the German princes gaining greater autonomy.
Speaker 1: They were now free to determine the official religion of
Speaker 1: their own territories, a continuation of the Peace of Augsburg
Speaker 1: from fifteen fifty five, but with one major addition. Calvinism
Speaker 1: was now recognized as a legitimate faith, alongside Catholicism and Lutheranism. Second,
Speaker 1: territorial adjustments reshaped Europe. Sweden gained significant territories, including parts
Speaker 1: of northern Germany, which secured its status as a major power.
Speaker 1: France expanded its borders, taking Alsace. The Dutch Republic and
Speaker 1: Switzerland were formally recognized as independent states, solidifying their sovereignty. Lastly,
Speaker 1: the Treaty of Westphalia marked the beginning of modern diplomacy.
Speaker 1: It introduced the idea that international disputes could be resolved
Speaker 1: through negotiation rather than war, a concept that would influence
Speaker 1: European politics for centuries. It's also worth noting that the
Speaker 1: focus on state. Sovereignty in the Treaty of Westphalia really
Speaker 1: brings to the forefront the beginning of the modern nation state.
Speaker 1: This is the end of the idea of the medieval empire,
Speaker 1: these patchwork states that stretched all over Europe but weren't
Speaker 1: necessarily contiguous. That idea that personal loyalty and alliances and
Speaker 1: fealty drove what made a kingdom is truly ended by
Speaker 1: the Treaty of Westphalia. But we have that comes out
Speaker 1: of it afterwards looks much more like the formula for
Speaker 1: a modern nation state that's going to dominate Europe from
Speaker 1: here on out. Now, the Thirty Years War may have
Speaker 1: ended with the Treaty of Westphalia treaties, as we've said,
Speaker 1: but its scars would linger for generations. Estimates suggests that
Speaker 1: the war claimed the lives of up to eight million people,
Speaker 1: including soldiers and civilians. Entire regions of Germany had been depopulated,
Speaker 1: economies were shattered, and the political map of Europe had
Speaker 1: been irrevocably changed. But the Treaty of Westphalia also marked
Speaker 1: a turning point. As I said, it laid the groundwork
Speaker 1: for the concept of the modern nation state, where sovereignty
Speaker 1: and territorial integrity became fundamental principles. It also signaled the
Speaker 1: decline of religious warfare in Europe as the balance of
Speaker 1: power shifted towards secular political concerns. The Treaty of Westphalia
Speaker 1: really does mark the end of major religious conflict in
Speaker 1: Europe that started with the Reformation well over almost one
Speaker 1: hundred and fifty years prior. So it really is the
Speaker 1: end of a major epoch in European history. And so
Speaker 1: this epoch and the Thirty Years War had come to
Speaker 1: an end, leaving behind a continent reshaped not only by
Speaker 1: treaties but also by trauma. Would have begun as a
Speaker 1: religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants and the Holy Roman
Speaker 1: Empire had spiraled into a continental struggle for political supremacy.
Speaker 1: By the time the war ended, its implications reached far
Speaker 1: beyond the battlefield. The most immediate impact was demographic. The
Speaker 1: war devastated populations, particularly in Central Europe. In some areas,
Speaker 1: towns lost up to fifty percent of their inhabitants to violence, famine,
Speaker 1: and disease. Villages were abandoned, and survivors faced a world
Speaker 1: irrevocably altered. The scars were visible in the empty streets,
Speaker 1: owned farmlands, and the silent churches that no longer had
Speaker 1: congregations to fill their views. Economically, the war left Europe
Speaker 1: in shambles. Trade routes had been disrupted, entire regions impoverished,
Speaker 1: and states saddled with crippling war debt. The once prosperous
Speaker 1: German territories, the war's conclusion brought now a painful realization.
Speaker 1: Germany would no longer be the economic heart of Europe.
Speaker 1: The center of power now shifted really until Bismarck westward
Speaker 1: to France and the Dutch Republic, which emerged relatively stronger. Politically,
Speaker 1: the Treaty of Westphalia marked a watershed moment. The principle
Speaker 1: of state sovereignty was established, effectively ending the Holy Roman
Speaker 1: Empire's dream of a unified central authority. Instead, German princes
Speaker 1: gained the power to determine the religion and govern evernance
Speaker 1: of their territories, paving the way for the phragmatic patchwork
Speaker 1: of states that would define Germany now for centuries. The
Speaker 1: Treaty of Westphalia also set the stage for modern diplomacy.
Speaker 1: It was one of the first instances of a multilateral
Speaker 1: negotiation to resolve a war where the balance of power,
Speaker 1: rather than ideological triumph, became the goal. This approach to
Speaker 1: peacemaking planted the seats for a Europe where alliances and
Speaker 1: treaties would now take precedence over religious crusades. The war
Speaker 1: also signaled the decline, as I've mentioned, of religious conflicts
Speaker 1: in Europe, as this chapter in European history effectively came
Speaker 1: to an end and rulers shifted focus to political and
Speaker 1: economic interest. Culturally, the war marked a turning point in
Speaker 1: the European psyche. The sheer scale of the destruction and
Speaker 1: suffering forced people to grapple with the consequences of prolonged conflict.
Speaker 1: Writers and thinkers began questioning the justification for war and
Speaker 1: the role of religion and governance. This intellectual shift would
Speaker 1: later influence the Enlightenment and ideas about secular governance and
Speaker 1: human rights. For the broader world, the Thirty Years War
Speaker 1: became a cautionary tale. It underscored the dangers of unchecked
Speaker 1: religious and political conflict and showed the potential for diplomacy
Speaker 1: to achieve peace. Yet the war also highlighted the fragility
Speaker 1: of peace and the ease with which nations could quickly
Speaker 1: descend into chaos. As the seventeenth century continued, Europe would rebuild,
Speaker 1: but the legacy of the Thirty Years War will linger.
Speaker 1: The psychological scars faded, but the war's lessons endured, shaping
Speaker 1: the continent's political, economic, and cultural trajectory for generations to come.
Speaker 1: It was a war that not only devastated but also transformed,
Speaker 1: setting Europe on a new path true into the modern age.
Speaker 1: The diplomatic impacts of the war were profound. The Thirty
Speaker 1: Years War reshaped Europe not only through its devastation, but
Speaker 1: also through its impact on diplomacy and balance of power.
Speaker 1: As the fires of war finally burnt out, the Treaty
Speaker 1: of Westalia introduced ideas that would define international relations for
Speaker 1: centuries to come. Before the war, Europe's politics were deeply
Speaker 1: entwined with religion, with rulers claiming divine authority and wars
Speaker 1: fought in the name of faith. The Treaty of Westphalia
Speaker 1: forever broke this paradigm. For the first time, states agreed
Speaker 1: that religion would no longer dictate alliances or justify endless wars. Instead,
Speaker 1: political and territorial interests took precedence. This monumental shift laid
Speaker 1: the foundation for the modern concept of the secular state,
Speaker 1: were sawdran and pragmatism outweighed ideological concerns. The treaty also
Speaker 1: introduced the principal of state sovereignty, a revolutionary idea for
Speaker 1: its time. Each ruler within the Holy Roman Empire was
Speaker 1: granted authority to govern their territories without interference from the
Speaker 1: emperor or foreign powers. This decentralization effectively ended the Holy
Speaker 1: Roman Empire as a unified political entity. It fragmented Central
Speaker 1: Europe into a mosaic of semi independent states, ensuring that
Speaker 1: Germany would remain a patchwork of rival territories for the
Speaker 1: next two centuries. At the same time, the treaty marked
Speaker 1: the decline of Spain as Europe's dominant power. Decades of
Speaker 1: warfare had drained Spanish resources, and the loss of influence
Speaker 1: in the Treaty of Westphalia cemented its decline. France, on
Speaker 1: the other hand, emerged as the pre eminent power in Europe.
Speaker 1: Under Cardinal Mazarin's leadership, France secured territorial gains and established
Speaker 1: itself as a central player in European politics. Sweden too
Speaker 1: gained significant territory in northern Germany, solidifying its position as
Speaker 1: a major northern power. The diplomacy of the Treaty of
Speaker 1: Westphalia was equally groundbreaking. The peace talks themselves involved over
Speaker 1: one hundred delegations from across Europe. This, as I said,
Speaker 1: was one of the first instances of multilateral negotiations, where
Speaker 1: multiple parties gathered to settle a conflict rather than imposing
Speaker 1: terms unilaterally. The treaty established the president that war could
Speaker 1: be resolved through dialogue, a concept that would later evolve
Speaker 1: in institutions like the United Nations. These diplomatic innovations also
Speaker 1: had a effect on the balance of power. The treaty
Speaker 1: aimed to create a system where no single state could
Speaker 1: dominate Europe, a concept known as balance of power. By
Speaker 1: redistributing territories and codifying new borders, the Treaty of Asphalia
Speaker 1: set the stage for alliances and counter alliances that would
Speaker 1: define European geopolitics. This system, while imperfect, helped maintain a
Speaker 1: relative equal balance in Europe for the next century, preventing
Speaker 1: any one power from achieving total dominance. And it's only
Speaker 1: going to be the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars
Speaker 1: that come afterwards. That's going to upset the status quo
Speaker 1: set in place in sixteen forty eight. The emphasis on
Speaker 1: state sovereignty and balance of power influenced not only Europe,
Speaker 1: but also the broader world. As colonial empires expanded, European
Speaker 1: power has carried these ideas into their overseas territories, spreading
Speaker 1: the Westphalian concept of the nation state. This would eventually
Speaker 1: shape the global political order, influencing international relations far beyond Europe.
Speaker 1: The Thirty Years War marked a turning point for Europe.
Speaker 1: It demonstrated the destructive potential of prolonged conflict, but also
Speaker 1: introduced a pathway to peace through negotiation and compromise. The
Speaker 1: lessons that Europe learned from this war, the importance of sovereignty,
Speaker 1: the utility of balance of power, and the necessity of dialogue,
Speaker 1: echoed throughout the centuries. They provided a blueprint for the
Speaker 1: diplomatic frameworks that would come to define our modern world.
Speaker 1: Next time, we're going to back up and talk a
Speaker 1: little bit about other events that were taking place at
Speaker 1: the same time throughout Europe, specifically France and Spain. More